Imo State SSG faults the constitutional right to medical abortion

By SOLA OGUNDIPE
A WOMAN may not exercise her right to undergo medical abortion in Imo State, as provided under Section 40 (1) (i) of the constitution if the Secretary to the Imo State Government, Professor Tony Anwuka has anything to do with it.

At the opening of a 2-day Pro-Life International Conference organised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri Anwuka condemned the inclusion of the portion which allows “medical abortion” in the body of the law saying, “as a Knight of Saint Molumba of the Catholic Church, I will ensure that this portion of the law is expunged and abrogated soonest”.

The SSG argued that all Catholics must and should vote for pro-life and that no government should violate this right in whatever form including enactment of laws.

It would be recalled that Governor Rochas Okorocha signed the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill into law on May 29 2012 .

Titled: Imo State of Nigeria 2012 Law No 12, Section 40 (1) (i) states as follows: “Every woman shall have the right to enjoy reproductive rights including right to medical abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest and where the continued pregnancy endangers the life or physical, mental, psychological or emotional health of the mother”

Anwuka noted that: “Every person should have the courage to preserve life rather than destroy it; medical doctors, pharmacists and all healthcare givers as well as government should have a rethink because if they have a life, they should think only about how to keep other lives and not how to terminate these at whatever stage”.

In response, Catholic Archbishop of Owerri and Metropolitan of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Anthony Obinna noted that aside acceptable methods of natural births no other artificial method such as use of contraceptives for family planning is morally approved.